Traveling underwater compressed air working chamber



Aug. 22, 1950 c, oo 2,519,453

TRAVELING UNDERWATER COMPRESSED AIR WORKING CHAMBER Filed Jan. 13, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5.5 f 49 (Mi/H5 Gamm/v,

INVENTOR hf ATTORNEY.

Aug. 22, 1950 c. GOODMAN 2,

TRAVELING UNDERWATER COMPRESSED AIR WORKING CHAMBER Filed Jan. 13, 1947 I 2 SheeEs-Sheet 2 can Q C) 10 k 17 24 CfiA/rus 600mm Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAVELING UNDERlF/ATER COMPRESSED AIR WORKING CHAMBER 2 Claims.

This invention relates to compressed air underwater working chambers, and has for its main object to provide a device of this type which will be independently floating and movable by its own means and power. This invention also represents an improvement of my invention for Methods and Means for Underwater Construction, for which a patent application has been filed August 1, 1946, Ser. No. 687,751.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device, as characterized hereinbefore, in which means are provided to permit workmen to leave the same, to work in the surrounding water, or at the bottom, and to return into said floating and travelling compressed air working chamber, and wherein said working men will be provided with air, tools, and other facilities from said working chamber, when leaving the same.

My invention further aims to provide a closed compressed air lock chamber, having a downwardly open working chamber secured thereto, through which the exit and entry of the workingmen may be effected, or in which they may work at the bottom, the workmen then being free of all lines or other connections on their body to said air lock chamber, and being adapted to operate entirely free, as usual on the surface.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a closed compressed air lock chamber and a downwardly open working chamber, attached thereto, said working chamber having a platform adapted to be projected from the same, or to be withdrawn thereinto, whereby working men may be placed on said'platform and work in the water or on the bottom, and from which they may enter the surrounding water.

Still other objects will be partly apparent and partly pointed out as this specification proceeds.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification and accompanying the same, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of said embodiment, while Fig. 2 shows a cross section thereof, the section being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In said drawings, the numeral :0 indicates my floating and automatically travelling device, in general, being composed of an upper air lock chamber, generally indicated by the numeral H, and a lower downwardly open working chamber, generally indicated by the numeral I2.

The air lock chamber is an entirely closed body made of strong steel plates or the like, adapted to withstand a predetermined heavy outside water pressure, having the side wall [3, a preferably arched top H, and bottom I5. The working chamber, in the embodiment shown, is of a somewhat narrower cylindrical steel shell I6, which is shown as a continuation of the side wall l3 of the air lock chamber, but it may also be of a separate construction, secured to the bottom 15 of the air lock chamber.

A communication opening His provided in the bottom l5, normally closed by an upwardly or inwardly opening well sealing door in the air lock chamber. At the top of the air lock chamber, an entrance opening or man hole is provided, normally also closed by a well sealing door, and generally indicated by the numeral l8.

As has been mentioned, the underlying idea of this invention is to provide the device outlined hereinbefore with means whereby the same may float and travel underwater upwardly or downwardly or in any side direction, as desired, automatically by its own power, and for this purpose I arrange an upper motor and a propeller driven by it, as indicated at I9, the purpose of which is to drive my device downwardly against the normal buoyancy thereof, when the air lock chamber and the working chamber are under air pressure, the water having been driven out from the latter one, and I also employ four lateral engines or motors and respective propellers, diagrammatically indicated at 20, 2|, 22 and 23, which are adapted to drive the device in any of the four main directions, like north, south, east and west.

The engines or motors l9 to 23 may be operated by a compressed gaseous medium, like air. They may be of any appropriate compressed air motors or jet engines, and to feed them for a predetermined time, I arrange a plurality of compressed air cylinders 24, preferably around the circumference of the air lock chamber II. All the cylinders 24 will feed into an overhead cylinder feeder ring tube 25, through the valve controlled discharge pipes 26 connected to them, and

gi'ne'or motor 2| and will be controlled by the valve- 32.

Of course, the manifold 21 and the various control mechanisms and branchings ofl ber, as diagrammatically indicated at 34, such a mixture being found most advisable for breathing under the conditions existing in the air lock and Working chamber.

When it is desired to inundate the working chamber, and thereby lower the buoyancy of the device, when no underwater working operations are to be performed, the door for the, opening I1 will be tightly sealed, and then the valve 35 in the pipe line 38 opened, said pipe line at one end connecting with the working chamber, as at 37, and at the other end with th outside, as at 38, and it will be obvious that any air in the working chamber after such an operation will be driven out from the same by the inrushing water, and will escape through that pipe line 35.

On the other hand, when it is desired to force the water out of the working chamber and place the same under air pressure, and fill the same with air so that workmen may descend thereinto, from the air lock chamber, valve 35 Will be closed, and valve 39 in a tube or pipe 40 connecting the space in the air lock chamber with that in the working chamber will be opened, whereby the compressed air or air and helium mixture, may enter the working chamber and press the water out of the same.

I also employ a ring shaped tank or water container 4| around the upper portion of the working chamber, which will be filled with water, or emptied of it, as desired, to control the buoyancy of the device. For filling the same with water, valve 42 in the pip line 43 will be opened, and the hand pump operated, while, when it is desired to empty the ballast chamber, valve 45 in the air tube 46 leading from the working chamber into the circular tank 4i may be opened and the air pressure will drive the water out through the pipe 41. Pump 44 will in this case be reversed or bypassed.

I provide an upwardly and downwardly movable platform structure in the working chamber, generally indicated by the numeral 48, and it will be seen that the same is formed by a horizontal platform proper 49, and two upwardly and downwardly movable suspension members 55. The suspension members 50 are operated by air pressure, each having a piston or plunger secured to its upper end, slidable in the cylinder 52, the upper end of which is connected through pipe 53 with the supply of high compressed air, and the lower end similarly connected with said supply by the tube 54.

A three-way valve 54a may be provided to control the tubes 53 and 54, and when the operator permits the air to enter above the plunger 5|,

and to escape from below the same, the platform 49 will be moved downwardly-out of the working chamber l3, and, vice versa, by a reverse operation, it may be drawn upwardly into the working chamber.

The use and operation of my device will be understood from the herein description, but I may add the following remarks relating thereto; by controlling the mentioned engines and propellers 4 l9 to 23, and the water in the tank 4|, the device may be caused to rise or to sink or to move transversely in any desired direction underwater, and when any operations are necessary to be performed at a certain spot, the device may be kept there floating.

When at the desired location, the working chamber I2 will be placed under air pressure and the working men may descend thereinto, from the air lock chamber, landing on the platform 49. Said platform will be lowered as desired and the men either work right on the platform, as when the operations are to be performed at the bottom, underneath the device, or they may simply step out into the water surrounding the device, and carry with them any necessary tools, illuminating apparatus, etc. The men, of course, will then have divers helmets and possibly appropriate divers suits.

To facilitate such operations, an inwardly and outwardly slidable extension platform 55 may be arranged on the platform proper 49.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be resorted to in the elements, combinations and operations of my invention, and I reserve my rights to such changes andvariations as are within the spirit of this specification, andthe scope of the claims hereunto appended.

What I claim as new, and want to protect by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a travelling working chamber device for underwater operations, the combination of, an airlock chamber, a work chamber proper thereunder open at the bottom, means to close the chambers from one another or to place them into communication, as desired, whereby workingmen may descend from the air lock chamber into the working chamber and may leave it for underwater operation, meansto store compressed air in the air lock chamber, means to release said air when it is desired to place the air lock chamber under air pressure, propelling means on said device adapted to be operated by said stored compressed air in the air lock chamber, said device being entirely independent of any outside connection, like to the surface, an open platform at the bottom of the working chamber, and means to move said platform inwardly and outwardly whereby it may be projecting underneath the working chamber proper to a desired extent.

2. In a travelling Working chamber device for underwater operations, the combination of, an air lock chamber, a work chamber proper thereunder open at the bottom, means to close the chambers from one another or to place them into communication, as, desired, whereby workingmen may descend from the air lock chamber into the working chamber and may leave it for underwater operation, means to store compressed air in the air lockchamber, means to release said air when it is desired to place the air lock chamber under air pressure, propelling means on said device adapted to be operated by said stored compressed air in the air lock chamber, said device being entirely independent of any outside connection, like to the surface, an open platform at the bottom of the working chamber, and means to move said platform inwardly and outwardly whereby it may be projecting underneath the working chamber proper to a desired extent, a transversely movable second platform on said first platform whereby said second platform may 5 be moved sideways outside of the device to allow UNITED STATES PATENTS the workingmen to operate in such position. Number Name Date CHARLES GOODMAN 962,019 Flood June 21, 1910 1,274,004 Christie July 30, 1918 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,321,562 Sisson Nov. 11, 1919 The following references are of record in the 1,865,663 White July 5, 1932 f le of t s p 2,060,670 Hartman Nov. 10, 1936 

